Belarusians are less prone to depression than residents of neighbouring countries, according to the American financial and economic news agency Bloomberg. Belarus is ranked 41st out of 74, while neighbouring Russia is 25th, Latvia 34th and Lithuania 38th.
The ranking takes into account data provided by the World Health Organisation, the United Nations, the World Bank, Transparency International and other organisations. The survey included 74 states with a population of over one million and is based on seven key factors: homicide rates, GDP per capita on a purchasing-power-parity basis, income inequality, corruption perception, unemployment, urban air pollution and life expectancy. Bloomberg is convinced that these factors are crucial in assessing people’s lives in any given country.
According to Bloomberg, GDP per capita in Belarus totals $7,807, while average life expectancy is 71 years. Unemployment stands at 0.6 percent — the lowest to date — and Belarus is ranked 64th for corruption perception; Venezuela, Bangladesh and Pakistan top this list.
The most ‘stressed’ country, according to the ranking, is Nigeria, which is followed by the South African Republic, El Salvador, Mongolia, Guatemala, Colombia, Pakistan, Jamaica, Macedonia and Bolivia. The most relaxed people live in Norway (74th place), Luxemburg (73rd) and Switzerland (72nd).
